In a person, I love warmth, intelligence, honesty, introspection, curiosity, and a good sense of humor. I play guitar and sing passably, learned Spanish serving in the Peace Corps, and have been described as unconventional. I recently studied Portuguese for a trip to Brazil in June, 2009.

As far as likes, I love reading, tea, left-of-the-dial music, NYC diversity, travel, ethnic food, genuine affection, and great conversations. Dislikes include anything maudlin and Republicans. Aspirations: I have a professional job but I'm not sure what I'll be doing in five years. And I'm fine with that.

btw "shoegazer" refers to a style of music that came out of England in the late '80's and early '90's. It has nothing to do with a shoe or foot fetish!

Oh, una otra cosa: I've found that many people join this site expecting to be blown away and swept off their feet on a first meeting, or even a first correspondence. That ain't gonna happen in a forum like this. If those are your expectations, please don't write or respond to me. But if you have the patience and openmindedness to allow a serious relationship to grow over time, I would love to hear from you.

First date - I would just like to get to know you - lunch, a walk in the park, an afternoon at the museum. Once we figure out common interests, we can plan things we both like.